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President Donald Trump once made headlines when he was caught kissing a beauty queen, six years after his marriage to Melania Trump.
The then-owner of the Miss Universe Organization had organized a Miss Universe photoshoot and press conference at Chelsea Piers in New York City in 2011, and Angela Martini, who competed as Miss Albania in 2010, was invited to attend.
Martin and Trump were photographed posing together, engaging in lively conversation and, in a brief moment, exchanging kisses on the lips.
Now, nearly 15 years after the images went viral, Martini spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail about what really happened during the PDA photo and what her interactions with the US president were like away from the public eye.
The model, who is 1.63 meters tall, recalled her first meeting with Trump backstage, before walking the Miss Universe catwalk.
She was in a corner, doing her makeup and feeling discouraged about her future in the beauty pageant, after claiming to have witnessed some favoritism.
"I saw people who were supposed to be neutral, they were favoring certain girls from the beginning," Martin, now 39, claimed to the Daily Mail.
However, when Trump walked in, she allegedly caught his eye, prompting him to ask former Miss Universe president Paula Shugart who she was.
According to Martin, Shugart responded, "She's very difficult. She's well-mannered. She doesn't follow the rules." However, Trump reportedly insisted on meeting with Martin.
The former Miss Albania said the real estate mogul approached her to introduce himself, told her "nice to meet you" and then turned to Shugart and said, "I want her to shine."
Martin ended up placing sixth in the competition, with Ximena Navarrete from Mexico taking the crown.
As for how Trump was with the other contestants throughout the beauty pageants, she recalled: "He was very polite. He never flirted. It was very professional."
The former "Apprentice" star had a reputation at the time that differed from Martin's recollections.
Former Miss Alabama Tasha Dixon once told CBS that Trump would force his way into contestants' locker rooms when they were half-naked, though a representative for the president called the allegations "baseless."
Martin claimed that Trump seemed to like her during the beauty pageant, as he reportedly told the Miss Universe president that he wanted to see her "shine."
Martin considers the kiss with Trump "an optical illusion."
She claimed that the camera caught them at an angle where the way their heads were positioned made it look like they were sharing a much more intimate moment, but in reality, they simply exchanged a kiss on the cheek.
"It wasn't true, but it looks strange in the photo because the other contestant also... she has a strange expression like she's shocked," Martini added.
The model said she faced harsh public judgment at the time, but didn't let it get to her because she knew her "truth." She also claimed that Trump ignored what happened and neither he nor his team contacted her because it was all "not true."
Since then, Martin said he has met with Trump, 79, and Melania, 55, and said they were both "very polite and nice," adding of the president in particular: "I've always had a very respectful relationship with him. I've never felt a bad vibe."
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Trump, the Miss Universe Organization and Shugart, the former president of the beauty pageant, but did not immediately receive a response.
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